ready put several persons to death, merely for
having shewn some degree of coldness or disinclination towards the cause
of the insurgents.

On reviewing and mustering his force, Gonzalo found himself at the head
of 130 well mounted cavalry, 200 musqueteers, and 350 armed with pikes,
or near 700 in all, with abundance of excellent gun-powder[19]. Learning
that the viceroy had encamped on the banks of the river about two
leagues from Quito, Gonzalo advanced to meet him. Juan de Acosta and
Juan Velez de Guevara were his captains of musqueteers, Hernando
Bachicao commanded the pikemen, and the horse were led by Pedro de
Puelles and Gomez de Alvarado. On this occasion there was no person
appointed to the office of major-general, the duties of which Gonzalo
chose to execute in person. He detached seventy of his cavalry to occupy
a ford of the river, by which he meant to cross over towards the camp
of the viceroy, over whom he expected to gain an easy victory. It was
now Saturday the 15th of January 1546, and the two armies remained all
night so near each other that the advanced posts were able to converse,
each calling the other rebels and traitors, those on each side
pretending that they only were loyal subjects to the king.

[Footnote 19: According to Garcilasso, the army of Gonzalo on this
occasion amounted to 700 men, 200 of whom were armed with firelocks, 350
with pikes, and 150 were cavalry. In the History of America, II. 375,
the force under the viceroy is only stated at 400; but both in Zarate
and Garcilasso the royalists are mentioned as 800 strong.--E.]

At this time, Gonzalo Pizarro was accompanied by the licentiate Benedict
Suarez de Carvajal brother to the commissary Yllan Suarez de Carvajal
who had formerly been put to death at Lima in presence of the viceroy.
At that former period Benedict was on his journey from Cuzco to Lima,
intending to have joined the viceroy against Gonzalo, and had arrived
within twenty leagues of Lima when he learnt the murder of his brother,
after which he dared not to trust himself in that city until the viceroy
had been deposed and sent on board ship. He was afterwards made prisoner
by Gonzalo, who was even on the point of putting him to death; but on
setting out for Quito, Gonzalo took him into favour. Carvajal now
followed him with good will against the viceroy, upon whom he was eager
to take signal vengeance for the unmerited death of his brother; and was
even followed on this o